


A Meeting

by Aly_H



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Antivan Crows, Black Shadow - Freeform, Ex-Antivan Crow, Gen, Grey Warden Disappearance, Grey Wardens, Inquisition Agents (Dragon Age), Pre-Conclave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 05:25:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16847983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aly_H/pseuds/Aly_H
Summary: All of Thedas is tense, expecting trouble and only a few souls believing that the Divine’s Conclave, being held in a few weeks time at the Temple of Sacred Ashes will solve problems. Former Crow Laurencio Altimari reports of trouble with the Wardens of Ferelden to the Black Shadow and receives his next assignment.





	A Meeting

“Ah, my friend!” the voice was altogether too cheerful as its owner joined him at the table. Amber eyes laughing, and the recognizable tattoos on his face easily visible. Zevran Arainai made little effort at hiding who he was here. “As grim as ever, Altimari.”

Nor was there much reason to.

Vigil’s Keep – and nearby Amaranthine – was the domain of the Wardens. Or had been.

It wasn’t obvious at first glance that the Wardens were gone.

The Silverite Order was visible on the walls of the Keep and they patrolled the nearby countryside keeping the peace. In years past a Warden rode with each patrol – Darkspawn had grown rarer but Ferelden had more than its deserved share left over from the Blight even ten years on.

Linea had been grim – her orders were secret, she’d told him little – she’d _known_ little, too many tells to be hiding much. He knew the Wardens had ridden for Orlais, and that Warden Constable Howe was missing – to be replaced by an Orlesian sent supposedly from Weisshaupt (the oldest of Ferelden Wardens had bristled and been wary - the last time Nathaniel Howe had been forced away from the post they had lost Justice and Anders and the consequences of _that_ still shook Thedas) - and Oghren and a few others who disagreed with the newcomer’s authority had led a search to find him and they had not returned either. And that was all besides the dreams - nightmares were common for both of them but in the time leading up to the Wardens’ departure from the Keep they had become near constant. Exhausted gazes had been common for any in the silver and blue uniform in that time. Too common.

All of this he reported in low, hushed tones to his own leader, though there was little need to whisper as he had chosen to use Antivan. The taste of his mother tongue strange after so long in the land of dogs – three years he had been the Shadow’s eyes in this place.

The position in Ferelden was not glorious but it was a sign of the trust that he had earned from the other former Crow in the time since he had knelt in a gutter and pledged his life to his service. Ferelden was Zevran’s _home_ , or rather it was the home of his leader’s home. Zevran himself was quite content to be by his Warden’s side no matter where he was.

Laurencio envied that a little, his thoughts turning towards a different blond elf, with a smile gentler than anyone whose blades were so wicked had a right to. He should have followed, refused to stay, even taken the Joining if that was what he took to stay beside her.

“She is tough, your Linea, is she not?” Zevran smiled warmly, Laurencio’s thoughts having been betrayed by the way his gaze had drawn to the ring on his hand – it was a simple band but Zevran had seen its match often enough and knew from his own beloved that Laurencio had married a Warden. “You have never kept company with fools.”

“There is evidence to the contrary,” he grinned – evidence that was riding towards the Divine’s Conclave as they spoke, “But she is certainly not that. I worry.”

A firm hand clasped his shoulder – Zevran understood what it was to worry for a Warden when their duties called them where others might not follow.

He finished his drink before addressing the next concern that needed to be talked of:

“The Nightingale’s people have approached me,” he added. “They wish to recruit me for the Inquisition’s network. The Divine expects the talks to fail.”

He watched the other assassin frown - thinking the situation over. “Join them,” he decided. “But you have not heard from me in nearly a year. Not since _mi amor_ and I departed to hunt for the cure.”

“Do I have any notion of where that research was to take you both?”

“None. If it is safe report on what Leliana is planning. Do not risk yourself to throw her off our scent further if their search for us becomes earnest.” Zevran paused as he stood to leave and added, “If you find that your Linea is in danger, go to her, my friend.”

“Safe travels,” he told the Black Shadow before the blond vanished out the door – returning to wherever the Hero was waiting for him.

Laurencio sighed and finished his drink.

In the morning he would go to Denerim – until the Wardens returned Vigil’s Keep would hold little interest, but if things were stirring keeping an eye on Ferelden’s throne could prove useful. And the capital had been where the Nightingale’s people had found him in the first place.


End file.
